A LOS ANGELES TIMES - FINANCIAL TIMES SPECIAL REPORT : The Next California--The State’s Economy in the Year 2000 : The Next California / THE STATE’S ROLE IN THE WORLD ECONOMY : California’s Global Economy

The Los Angeles-Long Beach customs district has more international trade than any other in the United jStates. Trade is expected to play an even bigger role in the next century in the economy of California, the gateway to the Pacific Rim.

Enterprising Exporter

Economists predict California will see dramatic export growth as it nears the 21st Century. An increase in cargo traveling through the combined ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles illustrates this expansion. Tonnage has doubled since 1981 and is expected to more than triple between 1981 and 2000.

* Los Angeles-Long Beach total port tonnage (in millions)

1981: 37.9

1982: 37.0 1983: 41.8

1984: 48.8

1985: 52.1

1986: 58.6

1987: 63.5

1988: 68.0

1989: 73.4

1990: 73.8

1991: 75.2

1992: 78.2

1993: 80.6

1994: 91.0

2000*: 138.6

* Forecast

Electronics Leads

Southern California export economy not only withstood the recession, it expanded more rapidly than the national average over the past decade. A look at the top commodities exported through the Los Angeles customs district in 1994, ranked by value:

* Value of top commodities exported (in billions)

Electronic circuits, micro-assemblies: $5.64

Parts, accessories for aircraft, spacecraft: $2.62

Airplanes: $2.47

Parts, accessories for office machines, data-processing equipment: $1l87

Cotton: $1.41

Passenger motor vehicles: $1.11

Storage units for data processing systems: $0.777

Digital processing units: $0.772

Parts for tractors, other special-purpose vehicles: $0.708

Cigarettes: $0.686

Insider Trader

Historically, the number of people emplyed in trade-related fields in California has been second onlyh to the number of Californians working in the service industry. Trade employment in the state, where economists predict one in six jobs will be in foreign trade, is projected to increse through 2004:

* Trade employment in California (in millions)

1991: 2.922

1992: 2.834

1993: 2.813

1994: 2.867

1995**: 2,978

1996: 3.071

1997: 3.177

1998: 3.275

1999: 3.354

2000: 3.430

2001: 3.510

2002: 3.591

2003: 3.666

2004: 3.737

** 1995-2004 are estimates.

Commerce Leader

The Southern California region has formidable assets for trade--more foreign commerce travels in and out of the combined ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach than any other U.S. port. Los Angeles tops the list in 1994 revenues brought in through international trade:

* 1994 value of international trade (in billions)

Los Angeles: $145.9

New York: $138.7

Detroit: $111.8

San Francisco: $80.5

Seattle: $57.3

New Orleans: $50.5

Buffalo, N.Y.: $48.5

Laredo, Tex.: $47.3

Chicago: $44.0

Houston: $42.7

Sources: “The Next Act: Southern California’s New Economy,” Center for the New West; Jack Kyser, Los Angele County Economic Development Corp.; Pacific Maritime Assn.; Paul Kagan & Associates inc.; Times reports; UCLA Business Forecasting Project; U.S. Census Bureau

Researched by JENNIFER OLDHAM / Los Angeles Times